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Whether you are a parent with a new born or a teenager going into adulthood, brushing your teeth is mandatory if you want to keep on top of your oral hygiene and health. This guide will help you with some tips on brushing your teeth; no matter what age bracket you belong to.

Babies/Toddlers (1 – 24 months)

As a parent, looking after a baby’s teeth is fairly stress-free considering that they don’t have any until they are about 8 months old. It is however still important to run routinely check-ups on their oral health as even their gums need to be kept clean and healthy. It is good practice to clean their mouth using a damp cloth and wipe their gums using very soft pressure to avoid upsetting their sensitive gums. Eventually as teeth grow, you will want to upgrade to a toddler toothbrush and recommended that you pick one that is soft-bristled and rounded so that it fits perfectly in their mouth and cleans it effectively.

Pre-schoolers (2 – 4 years)

At pre-schooling age, children gain a tiny bit more control and independence as they learn to walk and talk. It is also the time where most of their baby teeth have grown out and the responsibility of the parent should now be to start teaching them how to take care of their own teeth. It is good to get pre-schoolers to look after their teeth at a young age so that they get used to the daily routine early and be fully capable to brush their teeth independently by the end of their pre-schooling age. Pre-schoolers can sometimes be difficult with chore-like activities, but it can help to get them involved in the decision-making process by taking them shopping and letting them pick their own toothbrush. Getting them a toothbrush in their favourite colour or with their favourite cartoon character encourages them to be more involved with the toothbrushing process, making it less of a chore to them. Now, that they’ve got their special little toothbrush, teach them how to use it everyday and allow them to independently learn themselves, keeping a close eye on their process and remind them when they forget. Soon enough, they will be little tooth-brushing masters of their own teeth.

Children (5 – 12 years)

As children grow and enter school, they are exposed to lots of sugary products that can be harmful for their teeth. Although sweets are okay to consume, it is important to teach kids that too much is bad and help remind them to look after their teeth. Also, at this age; children grow very fast, so parents must keep up with the progress on their children’s toothbrushes; making sure that they are being upgraded to a suitable size and that their children are comfortable with using it. They may also start to lose baby teeth and grow adult ones, so is valuable for children to learn to floss their teeth as part of their routine.

Teens 13 – 17 Years

As a teenager, you may start to care more about your image as you become more mature and gain a little more independence. With maturity, a lot more things come into your life that you must consider; however, keeping your teeth white and healthy should still be on top of your many priorities as you only get one set of adult teeth in your life-time, and it is not worth letting them discolour or even decay. Make sure that you keep up with your daily brushing and flossing, and start to examine your teeth more regularly for any irregular changes.

Adults 18+

If you’ve been looking after your teeth consistently from a younger age, there is no reason why your habits should change as an adult. Your teeth should be fully developed at 18 and all you have to do is continue to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day to keep on top of your oral health and hygiene. As you gain full independence and age further into your adulthood, your teeth ages with you and may start to stain from factors that ordinary brushing may not fully clean. Therefore, besides keeping on top with your oral routines, it is also recommended that you keep tabs on the colour of your teeth and get dental check-ups every 12-24 months to see if they are staying healthy. If you do find your teeth starting to discolour, try brushing your teeth with Bianco Smile Activated Charcoal Powder or Toothpaste which is a safe solution to clean surface stains and whiten your teeth. If your teeth are stained, try our Whitening kit which is a stronger solution to get rid of stains and whiten your teeth up to 14 shades whiter.

Elderly

Statistics show that as you get older, the rate of tooth loss increases from 2.3% at 44 years to 16% at 65+ years, and it increases the older you get. Age is the main factor of tooth decay because of gum recession which exposes your teeth to contaminants; however, keeping consistent oral hygiene habits is the key to longer-lasting teeth. The mouth is the most bacteria-infested part of the body, but if this is kept in check by good oral hygiene, the risk of losing teeth lessens. With daily brushing and regular dental checks, it is also a good idea to have a healthy diet and lifestyle, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and staying away from teeth-harming activities such as alcohol and tobacco.